Sunday, May 4, 2008

More still to do... it goes slower when you have margaritas and dance around to Frank Sinatra while you work. But, you know, I am not exactly getting paid to do this, so I plan to proceed at my typical slow, plodding, sing-along/drink-along pace.

I did learn while scraping and prepping and looking at the wood-framed windows and the door that, indeed, they are all in terrible shape. The right thing to do is replace them, but we have the special joy of wood rot happening right in our bathroom, so the windows and door will get prioritized on that "Things to do when we run out of things to perfect" list that I imagine will get reviewed in about 2014.

I hinted that we would need to paint that, too... he didn't say anything.

He's very smart, though. He has already learned that when I say, "We will need to paint it," that I really mean to say that *he* will need to paint it.

He likes the color, so that's good. And his kid, the 13 year old, likes it, too. He has a fantastic sense of color (this being the kid who recently had to confess to me that I painted the front room "cat-lady yellow." Ouch.)

That paint color is "Nocturnal Green" courtesy of Lowe's (Valspar). I know, I know.. I should have been patient and got exactly what HOBAC suggested, but it was a sunny Seattle day and I had to take my chance and run with it.

I think it will all need a final coat next weekend (weather permitting) to get it a bit inkier and truer to the color chip (which is so dark-green-it's-black even though it reads as a blue-ish color here...)

Big improvement, very quickly. About that dormer, you were just going to paint the trim on the window right? Not the whole dormer. Reading earlier posts about this, it all got confusing. I can totally relate to bath room rot and 20 year renovation plans.

The color looks fantastic - really nice against the brick. How do you like the Lowes Valspar? I'm considering it for some exterior doors too, and didn't know if I wanted to spend on Bejamin Moore. Great job!

Long time reader first time commenter. Does your fiance/man assist you in your home improvement & decorating endeavors.

The reason for the question is that my fiance/man did not like the way that I did my hallway tile project several weeks ago (never lay tile when you are stoned!), anyway, he tore it out and promised to redo it for me. Well that was a huge mistake, he bailed out on me, hired two guys hanging out in the Home Depot parking lot, and they did a great job, but my genius fiance/man dropped my beloved Kohler toilet and we had to buy a new toilet last night.

Long story short...this small tile project cost me more money and more of my sanity than anything.

Just wanted to know from you and your readers is is wise to let the man help you in your design/decor/home improvement projects?

Funny, when I read that you didn't want to paint the door red, I thought, "paint it a deep blue." I lived in a house in London a couple of years ago that had a deep blue door, and for some reason it really thrilled me every day. Hmmh--it was the same color you picked for your door.

While I cannot offer any other advice, being a devoted apartment dweller with no outdoor space, I must admit I envy your outdoor space and know it will be lovely when you get to AFTER.

I love the color it looks great. Not to mention I love seeing that I'm not the only one who gets in a twist about something and obsesses until it's done. The backyard will look fabulous before you know it.

A+ and kudos to HOBAC on the color consult. It looks great and makes the brick look so much richer. One word of advise; if you use flagstones pour a foundation first if you can and set them with cement and grout. I have three large patios that are all large flagstones set in sand. They shift over the years and grow weeds in between. Also we have ants here and they love to burrow underneath. My brilliant bug man decided to lift a few of the stones to kill the ants and I've never been able to get them back in place just right again. When we get heavy rain they get stained with water deposits and sediment leaching up from beneath. Other than that they are great and I love the look.

(Jon if you are reading this stop... I am about to give away plot points to LOST and 24)...

(E&EL: The table was a scratch & dent sale item (about a 2" crack in the wood, but it doesn't bother me) and was about $200. The 4 chairs went for about $500 total. If Jon knew what I spent, he would not approve. But he does love the chairs, and I think it's sweet victory when we all agree on house stuff... Plus, I don't plan on buying a new table & chairs for a very long time... )

Brilliant, thanks. We have a set of metal chairs and a table, but the table has a broken spar... oh well, lasted a good six (?) years. I'm with you, buy well and count the cost in pennies over the years.